To rank higher in Google Maps, make your Google Business Profile complete and accurate, pick the right categories, collect real reviews and make your website match your profile. Google says it ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, and that you cannot pay for a better position (Google Business Profile Help).
What you control and what you do not
- Relevance (you control it): how well your profile matches the search.
- Distance (mostly outside your control): how far you are from the person searching. Someone standing across town may see different results than someone next door.
- Prominence (you can build it): how well known you are, shown through reviews, mentions and your site.
Because distance changes by searcher, there is no single “rank” for your business. Your position depends on where the search happens.
Step 1: Claim and verify your profile
If you have not claimed your profile, nothing else matters yet. Search your business name, find the listing and follow the steps to verify ownership. If you are a service-area business, meaning you go to customers rather than see them at your location, Google says you should hide your business address.
Step 2: Choose your categories carefully
Your primary category tells Google what you are first and foremost. Pick the one that best describes your main service, then add secondary categories for the rest. Look at competitors who rank well and see which categories they use.
Step 3: Use your real business name
Google says your name should reflect your business’s real-world name, and that adding unnecessary information to it can get your profile suspended (Google business profile guidelines). That includes taglines, service descriptors and location details. Put your services and area in the description and the services list instead.
Step 4: Fill out every section
- Services, with a short plain description for each
- Hours, including holiday hours
- Photos of your work, your team and your location
- A short description of what you do and where
- The right website link, ideally the page that matches the service
The full list is in our Google Business Profile checklist.
Step 5: Make your details match everywhere
Your name, address and phone number should be the same on your profile, your website and any directory. Fix mismatches one at a time.
Step 6: Earn reviews and answer them
Ask customers while the work is fresh, and reply to every review in a calm and specific way. Follow Google’s review rules (Google Maps user contributed content policy). It bans offering payment, discounts or free goods for a review, and it bans selectively asking only for positive reviews or discouraging negative ones. Ask everyone, the same way, with no reward.
Step 7: Make your website back up your profile
Your site should have a page for each main service and each area you serve, with your name, address and phone number clearly shown. A profile that links to a page that matches the search tends to make more sense to Google and to customers. See the 5 local SEO tips for the basics.
How to check where you show up
- Open a private browser window on your phone.
- Search your main service plus your city, then the same without a city.
- Note the three businesses in the map results and where you appear.
- Repeat from a different spot if you can, such as your office and a customer’s neighborhood.
- Write down the date so you can compare next month.
What does not work
- Paying someone who claims they can buy you a top spot. Google says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.
- Fake reviews, or rewards in exchange for reviews
- Creating several profiles for one location
- Stuffing keywords into your business name
These can get a profile suspended and take longer to fix than they would have taken to do right.
Why your ranking can look different from your customer’s
Map results change with the searcher’s location, device and search wording. Searching “plumber” gives a different list than “emergency plumber Carlisle,” and a customer across town may see yet another list. This is why one screenshot proves very little. Check a few searches, from a few places, on a few different days, and look for the pattern rather than a single number.
If you have no address to show
Many local businesses work from home or travel to customers. That is fine. Set your service area, hide your address as Google advises for service-area businesses, and make your website clear about the towns you serve. Build a page for each main area you really work in, with a plain description of how you serve it. Do not create fake storefront addresses or virtual offices to look closer. That breaks Google’s guidelines.
A monthly routine that takes thirty minutes
- Reply to any new reviews.
- Check that hours, phone number and services are still correct.
- Add two or three new photos from recent jobs.
- Look at the profile’s calls and direction requests, and write the numbers down.
- Run your three main searches and note where you appear.
Next steps
The wider picture is in our local SEO guide. If you would like help with your profile and site, our SEO services start with a free marketing review. You can also call (888) 849-2397.
Related guides
- Local SEO for Small Business: A Plain Guide
- How Long Does SEO Take? What to Expect in the First Months
- How Much Does SEO Cost for a Small Business?
- How to Choose an SEO Company: Questions to Ask and Red Flags
- Google Business Profile Checklist for Local Businesses
Want help with your SEO?
Webfactory Media is a digital marketing agency in Carlisle, PA, rated 5.0 on Google. See our SEO services, ask for a free marketing review, or call (888) 849-2397.
